Wednesday 14-02-2024 - 13:51

Trimester A Campaigns Update

During Trimester A, the Students’ Association ran the Winter Warmer Campaign to support students during this Cost of Living Crisis. The Winter Warmer ran for an hour each day from Monday 16th October 2023 on the Glasgow Campus and from Monday 13th November 2023 for the London Campus, for the remainder of Trimester A. Each Monday to Friday, GCU students could get either a cup of tea, coffee, or hot chocolate along with a bowl of porridge for free. This initiative was set-up by the Students’ Association whilst we explored the potential to open a Student Pantry, which is now open. We will continue this initiative during Trimester B at the London Campus. In total 1,398 porridge pots were given out to 384 students in the Glasgow Campus and 305 porridge pots were given out at the London Campus.

The Full Time Officers campaigned during Trimester A to open a Student Pantry and the installation of Student Microwaves on campus. The current Cost of Living Crisis and student poverty was a Team Objective for the Full Time Officers. This was a successful campaign win as the University agreed to build the Student Pantry on Level 0 of the Students’ Association Building and for its operating costs during the academic year 2023/24 along with the purchasing and installation of the Student Microwaves and the Hot Water Boiler. Responding to significant student feedback, the Student Microwaves and Hot Water Boiler allows students to save money by bringing their own food to the University and heating it up.

The Full Time Officers, along with other students reps, have been considerably involved in providing feedback and obtaining the student voice on both the Academic Calendar Review, Resit Policy and the Fit to Sit Review. The Student President raised with the Principal on embedding Carbon Literacy Training into the curriculum for all students and changed the guidance on the use of artificial intelligence to ensure it was not punitive but was used positively and fairly in the academic setting. The Student President supported GCU Strategy and Planning to engage students on the future direction of the University and its strategy refresh.

The Vice President GSBS was part of the Quality Enhancement and Standards Review (QESR) Steering Group and for the submission of documentation for the December 2023 review. He worked to engage students and the other Full Time Officers in this process and to be part of the review. The success of the review visit was in part down to the meaningful contributions made by students present to the delight of the external reviewers. As the University tends to gradually phase out the student attendance mechanism-use of swipe cards. The Vice President GSBS played a role in the discussion about the implementation of the SEATS application that allows for students to use the QR code system to replace the ID card swipe system.

The Big Conversation is a collaboration between GCU Student Life and the Students' Association and is a chance for students and staff to come together to discuss key issues surrounding the University's commitment to deliver an outstanding student experience. The Trimester A theme was The Sticky Campus: Making GCU Campus the place to be and the event took place on Wednesday 8th November 2023.

The Student Partnership Agreement (SPA) was approved by University Court on Thursday 20th April 2023. During Trimester A the Full Time Officers worked with the University to develop a website to include the SPA and case studies. The Student President 2022/23 and Student President 2023/24 were both involved in a video produced on the SPA. 

Following extensive discussions at Student Voice, the Full Time Officers produced a statement for our members in Trimester A on the Middle East Crisis: www.GCUstudents.co.uk/articles/statement-on-middle-east-crisis.